Skip to main content

Buy purses that feed orphans for Christmas!

In Swaziland where the HIV infection rate is the highest in the world (45%), chances are good that you’ll die before you reach 30. If AIDS doesn’t get you, some other illness might. A few brave grandmothers are fighting to feed the orphans around them and they do it buy making purses. This Ch…
By Seth Barnes
By Seth Barnes
In Swaziland where the HIV infection rate is the highest in the world (45%), chances are good that you’ll die before you reach 30. If AIDS doesn’t get you, some other illness might. A few brave grandmothers are fighting to feed the orphans around them and they do it buy making purses. This Christmas season, I’d like to ask you to help them by shopping at their online store.
 
When you buy a purse, not only do you get a wonderful gift reasonably priced ($18), but you support orphans. 100% of the profits go back to the grandmothers so that they can provide for their children.
 
I tell a lot of stories about Swaziland on this blog. It’s a nation under a death sentence. If the church doesn’t pull together to help them, they have no hope. You can help right now by doing one of three things:
1. Buy a purse.
2. Re-post this blog to your blog. Or join our Timbali Advocates group by commenting below. We’ll put you on a list and periodically update you about Swaziland.
3. Throw a Timbali crafts party for your friends and spread the word.
 
ABOUT TIMBALI CRAFTS
The women who create Timbali Crafts are all volunteer cooks at care points for orphans and vulnerable children in the rural Swaziland communities of Engculwini and Nsoko. The 90 women of Timbali Crafts help feed more than 2600 children each day at 30 different care points.

The women themselves face many hardships: most are either widowed or
abandoned, many are single mothers, or grandmothers raising their
orphaned grandchildren. Timbali Crafts was started in 2006 to help
reach out to the physical and spiritual needs of these hard-working
women and their families who would otherwise have little or none.

 
REACHING OUT TO PHYSICAL NEEDS
In a country where 2/3 of the population lives on less an a dollar a
day, many of the Timbali women earn between $70 and $100 a month. Money
earned by the Timbali women goes to help with the basic needs of their families such as
school fees, medical care, food, and housing. The women are also
assisted in saving throughout the year, in preparation for school fees
due each January.

Timbali reaches out in emergency situations with food baskets for families who have lost a loved one, or have a special need, and also medical care when needed

REACHING OUT TO SPIRITUAL NEEDS
Timbali Crafts was started out of a weekly Bible study with some of the women, and pointing them to Jesus continues to be the central goal. The Timbali women take part in regular Bible studies and also attend a yearly camp, where they can rest, laugh,  and be encouraged.  

WHAT DOES “TIMBALI” MEAN?
Timbali means “flowers” in the local language, Siswati. It is also the word used to  translate “lillies” in Matthew 6, when Jesus talked about his loving care and provision for  His children. Our hope is that God will use Timbali Crafts to help meet the needs of these hardworking women.

 

This is an amazing ministry. Last weekend we were able to help out with a Christmas party for the
Gogo’s of Timbali. We assembled gift bags in the office and made sugar cookies for them todecorate. The party was full of dancing and food and celebrating the 80th birthday for
Gogo Ruby. It was beautiful seeing all these women come together and celebrate.

 
This next week we are helping out at another Gogo Christmas Party for
the Gogo’s in Nsoko and instead of presents I think we are going to
kill a cow.
 
Please support Timbali Crafts today.  Visit their website at www.Timbalicrafts.org

 

Comments (6)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Posts